A romantic choice, this appealing Spanish name for boys is both accessible and distinctive.

This Latin word for love is not traditionally used as a name, but why not? It's got a pretty sound and some distinctive flair. Variants Amori or Amorie can also be thought of as different spellings of Amory, which has a very different meaning and roots. Only downside: Sounds almost exactly like "amorous," meaning in the mood for love, which could provoke some adolescent teasing.

Rhythmic and energetic, Drury is of French origin, with the wonderful meaning of "dear one, sweetheart."

This beautiful Māori name meaning love (cognate with Hawaiian aloha) is more wearable than the English word and softer Venus or Aphrodite. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern named her daughter Neve Te Aroha in 2018, and in recent years, Aroha / Te Aroha has become the most popular Māori baby girl name.

Romance may initially strike you as too ardent and whimsical of a name for a baby, but given that the likes of Love and Dream have been a fast-rising name in recent years — not to mention soundalike Romy — Romance is well-suited to our current naming climate.

This Hebrew name deserves consideration by parents looking for a traditional by underused girls name with a gorgeous meaning. Made up of the elements lev and i, meaning "heart" and "my" respectively, it is a gentle yet sparky option, and a popular choice in Israel.

In the Zulu and Xhosa languages of Southern Africa, Phila is a unisex name pronounced "PEE-la" and means "to live of life" It's also the feminine version of the ancient Greek name Philo, pronounced "FEE-la", meaning friend or lover and present in several contemporary names and words used throughout the Western World. The name Philip, for instance, means lover of horses, while the city name Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and philosophy means "love of wisdom".

This phonetic version of the Welsh Cerys might be easier for Americans, certainly, to understand, but it does lose some poetry in translation.

In Welsh, Ceri is traditionally a male name but can also be used for girls. It's a short form of Ceridwen too, the name of the Welsh goddess of poetry.

This fairly common Korean girls' name counts Korean actress Lee Mi-Yeon and American composer Serra Miyeun Hwang among notable bearers.

Where as a serenade is an evening love song, an aubade is sung first thing in the morning.

Multisyllabic New Testament relic dimly recalled from the Thornton Wilder novel Theophilus North.

Peaceful and melodic, but a bit pretentious.

This Irish Gaelic name would be more accessible in other cultures in its modern Dervla form.

Rhythmic name sometimes associated with calypso singer King Ajamu.

Forever Lucy's.

Carita may feel like an endearing nickname but it's a name in its own right, used throughout Scandinavia in this form and as Karita, Caritas, and Karitas as a variation on Charity.

This simple but alluring name — some might associate it with the Kama Sutra — was chosen by heavy metal rocker Sammy Hagar for his daughter.

In the Shona language of souther Africa, this simple and wearable boys' name means love.

A soft and lovely Hebrew name with an equally lovely meaning. Variations include Ahavah, Ahaba, Ahabah, Ahuva and Ahuvah.